Want to "kill" a few kilowatts on your bill?

Knowledge is power. Especially knowledge about power.

That was the heading of a pdf email attachment I got tonight. It got my attention. Following are the rest of text in the pdf. I convert the original pdf into a png so that I can store it in Flickr. I will definitely try this device in my house and follow up with reports of the progress.

Baldwin EMC wants to put knowledge in your hands with a new state-of-the-art tool called a Kill A Watt. This device allows a user to determine what appliances and electronics are using the most energy in a home, and where electricity may be going to waste.

Managing misconceptions

Baldwin EMC’s energy marketing specialists, the team that conducts home energy audits, come across many homeowners who have the wrong idea about what uses the most power in their houses. Many times the assumption is that bigger appliances like refrigerators or washing machines automatically use the most electricity.

That’s not usually the case. While the largest consumers of energy in a typical home are two very large appliances, the HVAC unit and the water heater, some smaller devices aren’t too far behind. Knowing the Truth Knowing how appliances and electronics measure up can help homeowners make good choices about how they use the items known to consume a large amount of electricity. That’s where the Kill A Watt comes in. With this new device, users will not only be able to tell what items use the most power in their home, but which ones might actually be wasting energy. Baldwin EMC has made the Kill A Watt devices available for use by co-op members. Beginning March 1, members can simply go to one of Baldwin EMC’s three office locations and ask to check out a Kill A Watt. After verifying your membership and providing a signature, you’ll be given one of the devices to take home for two weeks. After that time period is up, return it to the Baldwin EMC office where you checked it out.

How it Works

Using the device is pretty easy.

• Plug an appliance or electronic device into the Kill A Watt. (NOTE: The Kill A Watt cannot be used for appliances that run on more than 120 volts. If the appliance’s plug is too large to fit into the Kill A Watt, do not attempt to connect it.)
• Plug the Kill A Watt into an outlet. Press and hold the reset button to clear any previous readings stored on the device.
• View all the various readings, such as the amount of kilowatt hours used or its operational cost per day, per month, or per year.
• Pay close attention to if and how the readings change when the device plugged into the Kill A Watt is turned off. If the kilowatt hour and cost readings continue to increase, that could mean the device is consuming power even when it’s not on. If possible, those devices need to be unplugged when not in use.

After two weeks, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what appliances and electronics are using the most energy and which ones are actually wasting power. Knowing that can help you make better choices about your energy use. Those better choices will help you save money. ?